This is part of an ongoing series where catch up with recent graduates who postponed college for junior hockey.
What have you been doing since you graduated?
I’m playing junior hockey for the Hawkesbury Hawks in the CCHL. Hawkesbury is a small town just outside of Ottawa and west of Montreal.
How does it compare to the caliber of Northwood last year?
The caliber of hockey in juniors is different than the hockey I played at Northwood for the past three years. Junior hockey is a lot faster and way more physical. Players have less time and space to make plays. There’s also more fighting. The hockey is a bit more competitive in the sense that any team can win on any given night. It’s just whichever team shows up to play. It really gets players ready for what’s ahead in college hockey.
How’s the living situation compared to boarding school?
At boarding school I was living in a dorm on campus along with all the other boys on my hall. It was always loud and there was always something going on, which made it fun. It kind of felt like summer camp at times. The only time I was in my room was to sleep or study. Now I live in a “billet home,” where an older lady looks after me and three of my teammates. There’s different billet homes all over town where other guys live. It’s mostly quiet in the house, and I spend most of my time in my room watching Netflix. It’s my responsibility to cook and clean for myself. It has allowed me to become even more independent than at school.
What do you miss most about Northwood?
I miss always being busy and having something to do. Whether it was class, hockey, school activities or even hanging out in the living room, there was always something going on at Northwood, and I was never bored. I also really miss socializing with people other than my hockey teammates.
What are your plans for the upcoming year?
I plan to play my last year of junior hockey in Hawkesbury and hopefully get a scholarship to play at a Division I college the following year.
